Kazan Federal University joins Kazan Digital Week 2026
On October 29, the international forum opened at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center. The event brought together representatives of business, government, and leading research centers to discuss the development of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and IT workforce training. The business program covers ten key areas, ranging from intelligent mobility systems to cybersecurity and digital industry. As in previous years, researchers from Kazan Federal University are actively participating in the forum.
Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov attended the opening ceremony. He noted that the event grows in scale and significance every year. This year, more than 21,700 participants from 76 countries registered for the forum.
“This year, we have retained the ten key focus areas. At the same time, the development and deployment of artificial intelligence as a driver of growth across all sectors have been placed at the heart of the agenda. More than 170 events will take place, and over 250 leading Russian and international IT companies and startups will showcase their solutions at the exhibition,” Rustam Minnikhanov emphasized.
The regional leader also noted that Tatarstan is a leader in digital transformation among Russia’s regions, ranking among the best in the adoption of electronic government services, AI development, and cybersecurity.
“Our task is to comprehensively align priority sectors through the introduction of artificial intelligence and the development of digital services and data capabilities. Tatarstan has everything needed to achieve this: modern infrastructure, high-tech companies, universities specializing in IT, and an expert community,” he said.
On the first day, participants noted that Kazan Digital Week had become a major gathering point for the entire information technology sector. According to Rifkat Minnikhanov, President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, the projects presented at the forum are becoming increasingly practical and scalable each year. Participation in the exhibition delivers tangible results: last year’s figures show that 84 percent of companies with exhibition stands were satisfied with the contracts and agreements they concluded.
The head of the Academy of Sciences announced that the forum’s scope could expand to include space-related projects in the future.
“Everything connected with scientific and technological development is already coming together. In the longer term, this will be the main instrument. Today, artificial intelligence brings everything together. Many developments are becoming universal and are being used across all fields,” he remarked.
Roza Akhmadieva, Academician-Secretary of a division of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences and Rector of Kazan State Institute of Culture, believes that the region successfully combines traditional academic strengths with innovative practices. In particular, arts institutions in Tatarstan have begun introducing prototyping centers and business skills training so that students can bring their projects to life while still studying. This synergy helps students at local universities achieve success at major national and international events, while enabling them to become full-fledged partners of businesses in conducting research.
“Our forum is a platform where science, business, and government meet. And, of course, it is about development. Especially in the digital age, it is very important to find partners and identify products and projects that can be put into practice,” Akhmadieva emphasized.
One of the main tracks is Digital Solutions for Autonomous Vehicles and Their Practical Applications. Andrey Keller, Director of KFU’s Naberezhnye Chelny Institute, partakes. He has prepared a presentation entitled Practical Solutions in Autonomous Vehicles: The Role and Place of University Research and Education.
Keller will also deliver a presentation entitled Intelligent Mobility Systems: Theory and Development Prospects during the expert and research session of the same name. Dmitry Chikrin, Director of KFU’s Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Systems Engineering, will moderate a roundtable discussion.
Education and new forms of industry collaboration will be the focus of the roundtable Business and Universities: New Formats of Industry Partnership in IT Workforce Training, scheduled for October 30. Mikhail Abramsky, Director of KFU’s Institute of Information Technology and Intelligent Systems, is listed among the participants.
In addition, Natalia Kalenskaya, Head of the Department of Marketing at KFU’s Institute of Management, Economics and Finance, will speak in the Fintech Economics section. Her presentation is entitled Smart CX: How to Combine Algorithms with Empathy and Measure Results Effectively.
The digital technology track will also feature the roundtable Digital Core: New Opportunities. Participants serving as speakers and moderators include Danis Nurgaliev, Director of KFU’s Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies, and Vladislav Sudakov, a senior research associate.
At Kazan Federal University’s stand, part of the exhibition organized by the Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan, KFU’s Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology presented the project AI-Driven Design of Engineered Proteins for Medicine and Cosmetology. Project leader Professor Albert Rizvanov, Director of the Biopharmpark Innovation Research and Technology Center at the institute, explained how artificial intelligence is being used to develop new protein variants with improved properties.
Alongside the business program, the forum features an exhibition of advanced technologies, a startup competition, and a job fair. The event will continue through October 31.